I show up at the training yard with my attendant at 6:30 surprised to see that my father and siblings are already there as father definitely said to meet at 7. The yard itself was quite big about the size of a football pitch with a smaller hall running alongside the field. To my understanding that was the sparring hall where they keep their equipment for all the physical lessons among other things, the yard itself was just dirt with a cobblestone path that marked off the yard, there was also no equipment on the yard yet but I assumed that it’s just too early. As they notice me walking towards them my siblings stop what they are doing and stand off to the side to give me space to talk to father, despite it being so early they already look worse for ware covered in dirt and dust while my father looks fresh as ever. “I see your early son, good spirit, I like to see that” he says with a grin all plastered over his face “ When it was your siblings turn to begin their training I had to drag them out of bed to start with before they showed any enthusiasm” I see my siblings look down in shame at the mention of their younger days before my father gestures for me to follow him inside the sparring hall. Upon entering the hall my father directs me to the right where I see a rack of weapons of all variety “ Do you know what our family is taught to use?” “No” “Okay I will not push you to use any specific type of weapon but I will have you use 4 types of weaponry” “What do you mean by 4 types of weaponry?” “I will have you learn to wield a bow, daggers, sword and staff but when I say staff I don’t care whether you use a staff or a spear or some other medium range weapon” “What is the point of that, why not just specialize in one weapon?” “These are the questions that everyone asks and much like your brother you will only learn about the true use of them when you turn 12 and you are sent to the army, but to put it simply I want you to be able to adapt and overcome every situation. Take a look at Rafael there I wouldn’t be surprised if he is able to use many different types of weapons because, as an adventurer you have to be able to operate in many environments of which you can’t just use a sword for” To his speech Rafael just nods his head and I can’t really find any flaws in this statement, after all I imagine he has probably hunted in some tight environments where swords can’t be used and fought against creatures where it is better to keep your distance, for this I think it’s best to listen to the experts and just go along with what they said. But wait i’m pretty sure I heard him say something strange in the first half. “Did you just say when I turn 12 i will be sent to the army?” “ Yes I thought you read the family rules, your brother is 11 and will be joining next year, you know of our contract with the duke and by sending our family into the army it is a way for him to see our progress and commitment to fulfilling the deal after all your brother is only 11 and already a Qi teacher level 4” The army is not a place I would really like to go, in my previous life I served for 4 years after training. It wasn’t the people that made me dislike it, it was what I did over there that made me feel alienated from everyone when I got back, the feeling that the army was the only home I have is one that I still haven’t been able to forget. Perhaps misunderstanding my mood Father laughs and says “ No need to worry over it you still have another 7 years to go we will make sure you are well prepared and you will also have Rafael right by your side, besides you wont be staying in the army after 4 years when your 16 you will be sent to the kiefer royal academy” Looking to my attendant Rafael I realize we will be spending a lot of time together in the future and I don’t know him at all yet, wait the same could be said for my siblings and my parents. I look back to the man that is my father and could clearly see the concern in his eyes, I’m a terrible child he shouldn’t have that look in his eyes, he wouldn’t, not if I wasn’t here. But just as fast as these feeling overcome me I have grown very accustomed to bottling up these things and I am able to hold back and focus on Rafael. He is dressed in a gray shirt and pants with a brown vest, which work well with his silver hair which is kept in a knot on his head. Breaking me out of my train of thought my father says” Well today Rafael will be teaching you the hand to hand combat style our family and most family's in this country use called Goupe Ghoere which is an overall defensive martial arts with a large variety of techniques, I myself have learned all of the techniques and can only claim to have mastered 40% of them” After saying his peace my father left me alone with Rafael “ well young master shall we begin” he says while getting into position with one foot and hand outstretched and the other defensively positioned on his solar plexus. Well shit this is going to be one of them training methods.